I would highly recommend Sanjuro, Stunning non color film with tight story and action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq_rSsbhQnE

Sorry for the retread on some titles, but here are some suggestions...

Samurai trilogy (Toshiro Mifune). The story of Musashi Miyamoto. The best.

Yojimbo

Sanjuro. IMHO better than Yojimbo... certainly funnier

Seven Samurai. Masterpiece

The Zatoichi films (tv series is ok too). Technically not a samurai, but who care, right...? Forget the newest versions... you want the movies spanning the 50's - 70's. Great stuff

Lone Wolf & Cub films (aka Baby Cart movies and tv series).

13 Assassins. The best of the newest crop of samurai films

Lady Snowblood. Pulp. The original is much better than the sequel.

Samurai Fiction. Strange film but enjoyable

I have a large collection of samurai films and have left off many that are worth watching.... but these are probably teh most instantly enjoyable.

samurai movies are not really my jam but 13 assassins was awesome and incredibly satisfying.

nvm. I already shitposted on this thread way back.

Duel To The Death (1983) - Hong Kong action cinema at its finest. Samurai v Shaolin monk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDPjaSaJqt8

Zipang a.k.a Jipangu a.k.a The Legend of Zipang (1990) - Wild Japanese fantasy-inflected samurai madness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYY6Zxr6VbY

That's a shame. I don't know how you can screw up a movie with Samurai.

Put Tom Cruise in it and call it "The Last Samurai"?

The 47 Ronin is pretty good.

Seven Samurai
Chūshingura
Throne of Blood
Yojimbo
Sansho the Baliff
Shogun mini series

Love this thread, so many new options to watch!

I think Tom Cruise is a good actor. And the other Samurai in it along with other aspects of the movie, make up for "The Last Samurai." being a white American dude... And they go into detail how that is possible so the plot is not as ridiculous as it comes off to some people. In the past, the Japanese also did hire Americans who were ex military to serve as military advisors. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. You know, there was once a black man from Africa who became a Samurai?

I know more about Japanese history than you might think.

I've been going nuts about medieval japan since I played Mount & Blade Warband with Gekokujo 3.1 mod and Suguroku 3.1 sub mod. Some of the stories are amazing, and the mod itself impresses my aged eyes. Plus battles are resolved quicker without shields.

Thought the music and some of the themes in last Samurai were good. Emotionally scarred guy trying to find peace.

When The Last Sword is Drawn is the best samurai movie I have seen, hands down. It's soundtrack is amazing. You can find it streaming for free. Check crunchy roll, Hulu, etc.

I've seen 13 Assassins also mentioned and that movie rocks.

As far as animated films are concerned, I agree with Sword of the Stranger and would also include Rurouni Kenshin, Trust and Betrayal.

*edit* If you like the Rurouni Kenshin anime, the live action films are surprisingly good. My brothers and I watched them on vacation.

You are not kidding it's the same movie. Toho Studios and Kurosawa sued and won a sizable cash settlement for plagiarism. Seems the italian studio that made FIstfull did not bother to buy the remake rights the way John Sturges did with "Magnificent Seven". Sergio Leone ,who was embarassed by this, claims that the studio lied to him and told him they has made a deal for the remake rights, but most film historians are skeptical about that.
If they had just kept to stealing the basic plot, there s little that Toho could have done, but Leone coying so many specific scenes and dialogue is what got them into hot water.

American Samurai

David Bradley.

Great action movie with good martial arts.